Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Fisheries and

for a world without hunger Aquaculture Department

Fishery and Aquaculture Country Profiles

The Republic of Maldives

Part I Statistics and main indicators

1. Country brief
2. General geographic and economic indicators
3. FAO Fisheries statistics

Part II Narrative (2009)

4. Production sector
Marine sub-sector
Inland sub-sector
Aquaculture sub-sector
Recreational sub-sector Source of information
United Nations Geospatial Information Section http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/english/htmain.htm
5. Post-harvest sector Imagery for continents and oceans reproduced from GEBCO, www.gebco.net

Fish utilization
Fish markets
6. Socio-economic contribution of the fishery
sector
Role of fisheries in the national economy
Supply and demand
Trade
Food security
Employment
Rural development
7. Trends, issues and development
Constraints and opportunities
Government and non-government sector policies and development strategies
Research, education and training
Foreign aid
8. Institutional framework
9. Legal framework
10. References

Additional information
11. FAO Thematic data bases
12. Publications
13. Meetings & News archive

Part I Statistics and main indicators

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

 This section provides statistics and indicators produced through FAO’s Statistics programmes,
available by the year reported for the narrative section.

Country brief
Prepared: May 2019

The Republic of Maldives is an archipelago of 26 natural atolls, consisting of 1 190 coral reef islands in the
Indian Ocean. The islands are scattered over an area of 750 km from north to south and 120 km from east to
west covering around 90 000 km2, and about 99 percent of the country’s territory consists of ocean.

The abundance of marine natural resources forms the basis of the country’s two most important economic
activities - fisheries and tourism. The fisheries sector has traditionally been the major contributor to the
country’s economy. Nevertheless, since 1978, the fisheries contribution to the GDP has shown a continual
declining trend, mainly due to the rapid growth of the tourism sector in the economy and diversification of the
fishery related businesses into other economic sectors such as export and labour. However, “the fisheries
sector’s contribution to the GDP has remained significant, both in terms of employment, value added
production and export returns” (MPND, 2004), providing an important source of income. Fisheries and fish
processing account for 5.1 percent of GDP in 2013 and 59 percent of the country total merchandise trade. In
2017, exports of fish and fishery products were valued at USD 196.2 million, while imports at
USD 31.7 million.

In 2017 there were around 17 589 fishers employed in the fisheries sector engaged in skipjack, yellowfin and
reef fisheries. The sector is also the main domestic food provider – Maldives having perhaps the highest per
capita fish consumption in the world at 142 kg in 2016.

In the past ten years, the fisheries sector has modernized and expanded, with new and larger vessels catching
tunas (mainly skipjack and yellowfin, which, together represent over 90 percent of total catch). The annual fish
harvest had been increasing up to a peak of over 186 000 tonnes in 2005 and 2006. Since then, annual fish
catch declined considerably reaching the minimum level in
2009 with 117000 tonnes, but increasing again since then up to 143300 tonnes in 2017.
Correspondingly, both number of fishers and number of boat actives reduced significantly. All other fisheries
except tuna fisheries target ‘reef fishery resources’ that include sharks, jacks, scads, breams, and jobfish.

Aquaculture has been recognized an important agenda items for development and since 2001 some technical
personnel had been financed by development funds to be trained in Southeast Asian countries
in mariculture including pearls, groupers, snappers, seaweeds and ornamental fish. However, there has been
no substantive progress in aquaculture development apart from partial success in fish breeding. No commercial
aquaculture production operation exists so far. Since recently, mariculture was recognized as potentially
important activity.

The Maldives is a Party to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) since
September 2000 and has ratified the 1995 UN Fish Stocks Agreement. It is also a party to: Biodiversity,
Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, the Montreal Protocol, the UN Framework on Climate Change, and
MARPOL Ship Pollution. Maldives is a member of the Intergovernmental Organization for Marketing
Information and Technical Advisory Services for Fishery Products in the Asia and Pacific Region
(INFOFISH) and the Bay of Bengal Programme (BOBP).

Membership in Regional Fishery Bodies

Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organization (BOBP-IGO)
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
 Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)
Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC)

General geographic and economic indicators

Table 1 – General geographic and economic data - Maldives

Area (including sea with territorial water): 90 000 km²

EEZ 859 000 km²
Length of continental coastline: Archipelagic country of 1 190 islands
Population (2007): 301 000
GDP at constant price (2008): USD 902 million
GDP per head (2008): USD 2 912.3
Agricultural GDP (year): n.a.
Fisheries GDP (year): 6% of GDP

FAO Fisheries statistics

Table 2a – Fisheries data (i) - Maldives

Total Per Caput

Production Imports Exports
Supply Supply
Thousand tonnes liveweight kg/year
Fish for direct human consumption 143 597 1 742 102 676 43 363 144.1
Fish for animal feed and other
purposes

Table 2b – Fisheries data (ii) - Maldives

Estimated Employment (2008):

(i) Primary sector: 14 066
(ii) Secondary sector: 6 000
Gross value of fisheries output: -
Trade (2008):
Value of fisheries imports: USD 8 509 692
Value of fisheries exports: USD 124 347 146

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

 Part II Narrative Updated 2009

This section provides supplementary information based on national and other sources and
valid at the time of compilation. References to these sources are provided as far as possible.

Production sector
The Republic of Maldives is an archipelago of 26 natural atolls, consisting of 1 190 coral reef islands in the
Indian Ocean. The closest neighbours to the Maldives are India, Sri Lanka and the Laccadives Islands. There
are around 200 islands which are inhabited, 89 islands used exclusively as tourist resorts and the rest of the
islands are uninhabited and mostly used for industrial and agricultural purposes. The 1 190 islands are grouped
into 20 atolls for administrative purposes. The islands are scattered over an area of 750 km from north to south
and 120 km from east to west covering around 90 000 sq km and about 99% of the country’s territory consists
of ocean (DPND, 2009).

Almost all of the natural resources are in the form of multi-coloured coral reefs, tropical ocean fish of every
colour and shape, crustaceans, turtles, seaweed and shells. The abundance of these natural resources forms the
basis of the country’s two most important economic activities - fisheries and tourism.

Fisheries account for 6 % of GDP, 11% of employment and 98% of the country’s physical export commodities
(DPND, 2009).

The fisheries sector has traditionally been the major contributor to the country’s economy. Nevertheless, since
1978, the fisheries contribution to the GDP has shown a continual declining trend. This is mainly due to the
introduction and rapid growth of the tourism sector in the economy and diversification of the fishery related
businesses into other economic sectors such as export and labour. However, “the fisheries sector’s contribution
to the GDP has remained significant, both in terms of employment, value added production and export returns”
(MPND, 2004).

There are no inland fisheries in the Maldives and aquaculture is just starting.

Marine sub-sector
Catch profile
Skipjack tuna is considered to be the most important species in the Maldivian fishery. It contributes about 65-
75% of the total fish catch, followed by 10-17% of yellowfin tuna. The two species are caught predominantly
by pole and line fishing.

In the Maldives, the term ‘reef fishery resources’ refers to all fisheries except tuna fisheries. These are reported
as one category in the national statistics and hence the reef fisheries component in the statistics includes reef
and oceanic sharks, jacks, scads, breams, jobfish, sail fish, seer-fish, rainbow runners and dolphin fish (mahi
mahi). The marine environment, which constitutes a large part of the country’s territory, has been used for
fishing from time immemorial. In the past ten years, the fisheries sector has modernized and expanded, with
new and larger vessels landing catches of tuna (mainly skipjack). The annual fish harvest has increased from
118 115 metric tonnes in 1998 to a peak of 185 923 metric tonnes in 2005. However, annual fish catch has
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
declined considerably in recent years. In 2008, the total catch fell to 133 086 tonnes, of which 66% is skipjack
tuna, 17% yellowfin tuna, 5% other tuna species and 12% is other marine fish (MOFA, 2009).

Landing sites
In the Maldives, fish is landed on to almost all the inhabited islands, and few of the uninhabited islands that
carry out fisheries related industrial work. Most of the fish caught are landed onto collector vessels placed
throughout the country. These vessels belong to the 4 skipjack tuna collection permit holders, who have
exclusive contracts with the government to purchase, process and export skipjack fish from designated fishery
zones. Almost all of the yellowfin tunas are landed at one of the (12) EU certified processing facilities and
exported to Europe. Most of the facilities are located close to the capital city of the Maldives.

Fishing practices/systems
The number of vessels engaged in fishing has declined gradually over the years in spite of the considerable
increase in catch over the same period. There has been a tendency in the past few years for the vessel owners
to build larger vessels with engines of higher horsepower. Modern vessels (mechanized Masdhoni) are
equipped with satellite navigation systems, hydraulic line haulers, fish finders, sonars and other technological
equipment. These vessels also have a special compartment for crew accommodation and are used mainly for
long trips (2-3 days) as opposed to the single day trips that were more predominant in the past.

The total fishing fleet in 2008 consisted of 979 vessels, of which 867 were mechanized pole and line vessels
(Masdhoni), 40 mechanized trolling vessels (Vadhu Dhoni), 17 sailing trolling vessels and 7 row boats
(Bokkura). Mechanized Masdhonis were accountable for the biggest share (more than 95%) of the annual
catch followed by Vadhudhonis (trolling vessels) in recent years (MOFA, 2009).

Table 4 - Number of fishing vessels by type from 2000 to 2008 - Maldives

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Mechanized Masdhoni 1 137 1 128 1 102 1 104 1 092 1 002 923 894 867
Mechanized Vadhudhoni 58 49 59 46 67 56 44 42 40
Sailing Vadhudhoni 72 40 9 4 17 22 17 16 17
Sailing Masdhoni 41 66 90 115 8 5 3 10 34
Row boats (Bokkura) 19 13 16 18 26 18 14 16 7
Foreign longliners 49 20 43 31 36 37 24 25 13
Recreational speed boats 2 1 2 1
Total 1 376 1 316 1 319 1 318 1 246 1 142 1 026 1 005 979
Source: Statistics Unit, Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture

Tuna fishery in the Maldives is highly seasonal with catches peaking around April and November, at the onset
and offset of Northwest monsoon. However, the fishing season has followed irregular trends in the past few
years. This is believed to be due to the change in local weather caused by global climate change and the impact
of the latter on seawater temperature.

(1) Most of these vessels are from Viet Nam and Taiwan Province of China. They are licensed to fish in the
EEZ of the Maldives.

Main resources

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

Skipjack tuna fishery

Skipjack tuna or ‘Kalhubilamas’ as referred to in the Maldivian language, is considered to be one of the most
important species caught in the Maldivian tuna fishery and comprises around 70% of the total catch. Skipjack
tuna fishery is primarily a live-bait pole and line fishery and fishermen usually go out for single-day trips. The
tuna pole and line method requires copious amounts of live bait which are caught from lagoons and reefs.
Industrial licensed longliners also catch skipjack tuna as a by-catch which are usually frozen and exported.
Skipjack tuna are exported either as frozen, canned or other processed products.

The main export market of frozen skipjack is Thailand and for canned skipjack it is Germany and the United
Kingdom. There is also a significant portion of dried or smoked fish, commonly known as ‘Maldive Fish',
exported to Sri Lanka by the small-scale processors.

Yellowfin tuna fishery

Yellowfin tuna or ‘Reedhoo Uraha Kanneli’ as referred to in the Maldivian Language, is the second most
important species of fish caught in the Maldives. Yellowfin tuna catches have increased dramatically in recent
years.

The Maldivian yellowfin tuna fishery is essentially a live-bait handline fishery and fishermen usually spend 4-5
days at sea before they land their fish. Catches by traditional handline vessels account for over 95% of the total
yellowfin tuna catch (MOFA, 2009). They are also caught by hand lining and trolling and these methods
usually catch large size yellowfin tuna of more than 70 cm. In addition, longliners operating in the waters of the
Maldives Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) take deep swimming adult tuna as well.

The Maldives ‘yellowfin tuna’ catch records include a small number of bigeye tuna. This is mainly because the
yellowfin fishery in the Maldives is carried out by the handline and hence the gear is not set deep enough for
bigeye tuna. No separate statistics are available for this species, but preliminary studies suggest that bigeye tuna
(Thunnus obesus) may account for up to 5% of the total yellowfin catch (Anderson and Hafiz, 1991).

With the increase in price and demand for yellowfin tuna in the fresh fish markets in Japan, Europe and
America, there has been a huge shift in effort from the skipjack tuna industry to the yellowfin tuna industry.
Fishermen also tend to change between pole and line fishery for skipjack and handline fishery for yellowfin,
depending on the fishing season.

The major portion of the yellowfin tuna caught in the Maldives is exported, while the rest is mostly used locally
by hotels and restaurants. The yellowfin tuna industry is competitive and new fish processors are free to
participate. Yellowfin tuna is exported mainly as frozen loins and steak and fresh to Japan, Europe, the United
States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany and canned to the United Kingdom and Germany.

Reef fishery

The reef fishery resources were hardly exploited until the late 1990s. However, with the increase in socio-
economic benefits from the expansion of the tourism sector, together with the improved air and sea
transportation, reef fisheries have developed significantly for both local consumption and export.

Aquarium fishery has recently started in the Maldives and has begun to pick up pace. This fishery is also
considered as a reef fishery.

The export-based grouper fishery started in 1994. At first, fishing was concentrated in the central atolls, but
later it has spread to all over the country.

The reef fishery reached its peak in 1997, when exports peaked at 0.9 million groupers but since then it has
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
continued to decline. Now, the reef associated demersal species are heavily exploited, mainly by tourists,
recreational anglers and industrial fishermen targeting for export markets.The main gear used in reef fishing is a
simple, single hook hand line. Live-bait hand lining is also sometimes carried out. Export markets of reef
species include the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Russia, Switzerland, Japan, Germany and Sri Lanka.
Groupers are exported in live or chilled forms mainly to China, Hong Kong SAR, Taiwan, Province of China
and Thailand

Management applied to main fisheries

The key aspects of the current fisheries management regime are:

Common property resource regime

Management, exclusion and alienation rights vested in government
Access, withdrawal and other use rights held by citizens
Boundaries determined by government define restricted areas, species, gear and methods
Monitoring, control and surveillance is undertaken by government.

Fisheries management goals are:

Maximize benefits to Maldivians from sustainable use of marine resources

Assist fishing communities in rational and sustainable use of fisheries resources
Strengthen resource management through participatory governance
Promote a voluntary compliance-based system

Key management issues that need to be addressed include:

Lack of a licensing regime in the coastal fisheries zone to complement the fishing vessel registration
system
Use of destructive fishing gear and methods
Misreporting of catch data
Harvesting of banned species, and use of illegal fishing gear
Illegal fishing in prohibited areas
Poaching in the outer EEZ by foreign vessels
IUU
Concern about potential over-exploitation of some reef fish stocks
Monitoring, control and surveillance of coastal fisheries
Inadequate human resources and assets for MCS

Ongoing activities to strengthen fisheries management include:

Revision of Fisheries Law and regulations to establish an appropriate regime for sustainable use of fish
resources
Pilot initiatives to develop participatory management arrangements for reef resources
Strengthening institutional arrangements and building human resource capacity
Programs to promote fishers awareness, capacity and support for sustainable management
Strengthening of reporting, monitoring and surveillance arrangements for enforcement

Currently, the fisheries management body in the Maldives has very few management measures placed in the
local harvesting sector as mentioned above. Regulatory measures are put in place in the skipjack tuna and
yellowfin processing sector. The government regulates the skipjack processing sector by limiting the number of
post harvesters which might indirectly affect the catch levels. The yellowfin processors have to pay a royalty
charge depending on the weight of the fish which could also indirectly affect the catch limits.

The vessels operating in the EEZ require a licence and are strictly monitored with a Vessel Monitoring System
(VMS). They are also charged with royalties on total catch subject to a quota. However, local fishermen
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
suspect that a large amount of unlicensed vessels operate in the EEZ. There have been several cases of
unlicensed vessels being caught by local fishermen and the Coast Guard of the Maldives National Defence
Force (MNDF). In reef resources, management regulation has been set only for shark species. Shark fishing
has been recently banned within 12 miles from all the atolls and the 2 seamount tuna fishing grounds and
within a 3 mile radius from the Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs).

Fishing communities
In the Maldives fishing has been the main occupation of the island communities for centuries. Men go out for
fishing, while the women fisher folk produce dried and salted fish generally for export to Sri Lanka.

The harvesting sector is mainly controlled by individual fishermen. Fishermen, frequently individually and
using various finance options, build their own boats. Income earned by these vessels is distributed evenly
amongst the crew on a weekly basis. An extra share is allocated to the master fishermen, to the vessel owner
and for vessel repair and maintenance.

Fishermen are paid on the spot when they sell fish to the fish collector vessels which operate throughout the
country. The fishermen are free to sell their fish to any collector vessel. Some of the fishing vessel owners in
the yellowfin tuna industry have had agreements with the yellowfin purchasing companies, which stipulated
that catches could only be sold to the purchasing company in question. In order to protect the livelihood of the
fishermen, and to strengthen their bargaining position vis-à-vis the post harvest companies, the Maldives
Government has enforced a minimum price under section 12 of Skipjack Purchase and Export Regulation
2001. Although the processing companies have never bought at a price close to the base price, the government
has resisted pressures to abolish the minimum price.

Inland sub-sector
There are no inland fisheries in the Maldives. Capture fisheries have always been the mainstay of the country’s
economy. However, recently mariculture was recognized as potentially important in the Maldives.

During the past decade technical personnel have been sent abroad for training in mariculture, particularly in the
culture of marine pearl, groupers, snappers, seaweed and ornamental fish. Enhancement of sea cucumbers is
seen as a possibility and hatchery/nursery development of sea cucumbers is ongoing. Since 2002, attempts
have been made to rear marble grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus) and two species of snapper (Lutjanus
spp.).

Aquaculture sub-sector
A brief overview of the main species cultured, production means and management framework. This overview
acts as introductory statement to the link to National Aquaculture Sector Overview (NASO) in case a NASO
has been developed for this country. This overview might be more comprehensive in case of absence of
NASO.

Recreational sub-sector
With the rapid growth of the tourism sector, there has been a special emphasis on the recreational fisheries in
the Maldives. The sector has picked up momentum in the past few years with the rapid expansion of tourism in
the outer atolls. It is mainly practised by tourists, but locals do go out for night fishing trips. Also few
entrepreneurs have embarked in the sport fishing business.

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department

Post-harvest sector

Fish utilization
Skipjack tuna caught by fishermen is sold to collector boats and to collection centers operated by the five
companies authorized to collect skipjack tuna. A portion of the catch would be taken by the vessel crew to take
back to the islands for consumption. This would also include rejects from the collector vessels. These collector
vessels brine freeze the fish and take it to collection centers for storage, from where the fish is loaded to carrier
vessels for export as frozen products, or taken to processing facilities for processing, including canning.

There are 11 European Union certified yellowfin processing factories in the Maldives. Most of the yellowfin
tuna vessels operate through an agreement with these purchasing companies. The fish caught by the vessels is
offloaded directly to the factories where they are processed.

There are few reef fish collection centers operated in a small-scale throughout the Maldives. Fish are mostly
exported alive.

The main export markets include Thailand, Sri Lanka, member countries of the European Union, Russia,
Malaysia, etc. Frozen products are mainly exported to Thailand while the dried fish are exported to Sri Lanka
as ‘Maldive fish’.In 2008, 56% of fish exports were frozen products, 28% fresh, 8% dried, 8% preserved and
1% live.

Fish markets
There are no fish auction centers in the Maldives, but there are small markets in fish landing centers.

Socio-economic contribution of the fishery sector

Role of fisheries in the national economy

Although tourism, during the past decade, has grown considerably, fisheries continue to provide an important
source of income for (about 20%) the population; it is estimated that about 14 000 individuals are involved in
full-time fishing activities.

Supply and demand

Supply

The fish harvesting sector in the Maldives has increased its production from around 20 thousands tonnes in the
mid 1960s to the peak of 185 923 tonnes in 2005 during the past four decades. This huge increase in the
harvesting sector’s performance is accredited mainly to the increase in effective fishing power of vessels.

The state owned company, Maldives Industrial Fisheries Company (MIFCO), enjoyed a complete monopoly
until 2003, when the government decided to privatize the skipjack tuna post harvesting sector. At the moment,
five processing companies operate throughout the country with Exclusive access to the purchase and
processing of skipjack tuna. However, there is a completely open market in the yellowfin tuna processing.
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
There are 11 European Union (EU) approved processing facilities operating throughout the country.

DemandFish and fishery products have been consumed by the locals for centuries. The trend has remained the
same over the years and hence the demand has remained the same.

Trade
Historically, the fisheries sector was the major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings. In 2008,
fisheries products accounted for almost 99% of the value of the Maldivian export.

Food security
Maldives import almost everything except fish and fishery products and a few varieties of vegetable and fruits.
Fish has been served as the basic source of protein for the entire population.

Employment
Currently there are around 14 100 fishermen employed in the fisheries sector engaged in skipjack, yellowfin
and reef fisheries. There would be an estimated 6 000 jobs in the secondary sector engaged in processing,
marketing and administrative work.

Rural development
Fisheries play an immense role in the development of rural communities. Fishing is the major economic activity
in those communities and the unique concept of the fishery in the Maldives enables the revenue generated to be
distributed evenly in those communities.

Trends, issues and development

Constraints and opportunities

The constraints in the fisheries sector include lack of capacity in the regulatory body – the Ministry of Fisheries
and Agriculture - to coordinate and enable the sustainable development of the sector.

Second, there is weakness in the legal framework and there are no well defined fisheries management plans
covering each of the fisheries management units. Third, because of the lack of fisheries management systems
(defined in plans), most of the fisheries, and especially offshore, operate under free and open access conditions.
Fourth, although infrastructure (harbours, electricity, roads, transport, etc.) development in the Maldives has
increased significantly in recent years, there are still some deficiencies, in particular in the atolls, which limit,
for example, the movement and trade of perishable fish. Fifth, while investment from private sector in fisheries,
particularly in processing facilities for export trade purposes, has increased recently, the total number of
enterprises is small, and overall, ‘fish business’ expertise, particularly at the international level, is limited
(Cunningham and Neiland, 2007)There are several opportunities. First, the the global market for seafood offers
a wide range of market opportunities and niches which the Maldives fisheries sector could exploit (For
example there is increasing demand from consumers for high quality fish from sustainable sources and for
which actual fishing has minimal environmental impact). Second, the Maldives could learn from an emerging
‘international best practice’ in fisheries management to develop its own fisheries management systems,
capitalizing on the high level of commitment by both government and non-government stakeholders to create
an efficient, wealthy and sustainable fisheries sector in the Maldives (Cunningham and Neiland, 2007).
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
Government and non-government sector policies and development
strategies
The fisheries policies of the government are as follows:

1. Expand the scope of the fisheries sector in the country’s economy. Open up the market to ensure that
local fishermen benefit from the increases in the price of fish in international markets.
2. Ensure sustainable development of fisheries to the benefit of present and future generations.
3. Provide training and financial assistance to fishermen.
4. Promote research in fisheries, increase fish breeding and productivity and diversify fish products.
5. Bring the Exclusive Economic Zone under the full control of the Maldivian government as the fishery
industry is the main source to support livelihood of the fishing communities.

Research, education and training

Research
MOFA is responsible for exploratory tuna fishing, investigation of reef fish resources, cataloguing of fishing
gear, establishment of a tuna data base and analysis of statistics and socio-economic surveys.
With the assistance from several bilateral and multilateral donors, research activities are focused on the
assessment of tuna stocks, reef fish and other marine resources and on sustainable management of these
resources. The current researches underway through Marine Research Center (MRC) are as follows:

A regional and local tuna tagging program in collaboration with the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission
(IOTC).
A study on skipjack tuna behavior, using acoustic tags, near Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) in
collaboration with the French Institute of Biodiversity.
A study on pelagic environment biodiversity in collaboration with the French Institute of Biodiversity.
A coral reef monitoring program.
A reef fishery research program.
A study on grouper spawning and aggregation
A pilot reef fish tagging program in collaboration with the Atoll Ecosystem Conservation Project.
A study on pearl culture.
Studies on grouper culture.

Education and training

The Maldives Fisheries Training Center has been established on the 8th June 2009. The center was established
to provide training to the existing fishermen and fish processors and to people who are interested to join the
fisheries sector. It would also disseminate fisheries related information to the public through various media. The
training center would provide courses on product development, product research, fisheries engineering and
technology.

Foreign aid
In the past, considerable bilateral and multilateral assistance was granted for fisheries development. At present
several projects are operating in the country. Most of the projects in the last four years have been directed to the
rehabilitation of Tsunami affected areas, especially in the fishing communities. The Japanese government has
contributed to develop a regional program for participatory and integrated Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Development for the long-term rehabilitation and development in Tsunami affected areas. The International
Fund for Agriculture Development also provides assistance to the Post-Tsunami agriculture and Fisheries
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
rehabilitation program. The bulk of foreign support in the past has been directed towards the development of
the post-harvest sector. The FAO supported Bay of Bengal Program is assisting the Government in the
exploratory fishing for tuna and reef fish, and is supporting to set up a fisheries management system. The
World Bank is assisting in the development of a pilot Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) system.

Institutional framework
The major governing regulation is the Fisheries Act (Act no: 5/87), which empowers the Ministry of Fisheries
and Agriculture (MOFA) to establish and administer regulations for sustainable utilization and conservation of
fisheries stocks and living marine resources, including protecting threatened species and establishing
conservation areas.

Other applicable laws include the Ocean Territories Act (Act No. 6/96), Environment Protection and
Preservation Act (Act No. 4/93), and other laws, decrees, and regulations relating to the use of the exclusive
economic zone (EEZ), fisheries, environment, business, foreign investment, and so on.

Therefore, the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture (MOFA) is the lead agency tasked with fisheries
management and development. The mandates of the MOFA include:

Formulate and enforce laws, regulations and policies required for sustainable development of fisheries
and marine resources, including those relating to Maldivian faros reefs and lagoons;
Formulate and implement policies and strategies required for sustainable development of fisheries,
agriculture and marine resources of the nation;
Protect and conserve the marine and terrestrial biodiversity of the nation;
Collection, processing and publication of fisheries and marine resources data and statistics;
Protection of endangered species;
Development and installation of fish aggregating devices (FADs);
Formulation and implementation of development projects which enhance the socio-economic standard of
the people;
Resources monitoring and conduct of multi-disciplinary research;
Collect, catalogue and maintain samples of the marine and terrestrial biodiversity of the nation; and
Formulate and implement regulations on scientific exploration and research into the Maldivian waters,
seas, seabed, subsoil and soil.

Surveillance, monitoring and enforcementTo provide a credible dissuasion for violations of laws and
regulations, the coast guard section of the Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) is in charge of the
surveillance, monitoring and enforcement. The purpose is to ensure the observance of agreed measures for both
locals and foreigners. An additional role is to collect information on fishing agreements, decide on national
policies and advise on strategic and tactical decisions about enforcement.

The modes of enforcement are air patrol, sea patrol and inspection in harbours. The enforcement modes used
depend on the resources available, the nature of the regulations and the characteristics of the fishery.

Other responsible bodies

In addition to the above there are various other institutions involved either directly or indirectly in the fisheries
sector. They play an important role in their respective areas of responsibility and have supportive functions in
the sector. They are:

Ministry of Economic Development (MED) – responsible for the licensing of all commercial fishing
vessels including foreign fishing vessels and for the determination of the number of licences to be issued,
the negotiations and other dealings with licensees. The Ministry also issues export permits for the local
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
 tuna and reef fish trade.
Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MTAC) – responsible for ensuring the marine-related interests of
the tourism industry.
Ministry of Defence and National Security Service – Coast Guard – responsible for the monitoring of
vessel positions and enforcement of EEZ laws and regulations.
Ministry of Home Affairs – responsible for the collection of fisheries related data and to ensure
compliance with the regulations and fisheries laws at island and atoll levels.
Ministry of Housing, Transport and Environment- Transport Division- responsible for the registration of
fishing vessels and for safety checks and training of officers and crew.
Maldives Customs Service – responsible for monitoring export fish trade and quality as well as the
transshipments by foreign fishing vessels.
Ministry of Health – responsible for inspection for food safety and for meeting export quality standards.
Environmental Protection Agency - Environment Division- responsible for the enforcement of the
Environment Act of 4/93 and for establishing marine protected areas and reserved diving sites.

(2) ‘Faros’ is a word used for reefs, especially in the context of the Maldives. It refers to the lagoons and reefs
without any island inside the rim of the atolls

Legal framework
The legal framework for the present fisheries management system is constituted by:

1. the Constitution of the Republic of Maldives;

2. official mandates of relevant government agencies, and
3. relevant laws, regulations, decrees and guidelines.

The major governing regulation is the Fisheries Act (Act no: 5/87), which empowers the Ministry of Fisheries
and Agriculture (MOFA) to establish and administer regulations for sustainable utilization and conservation of
fisheries stocks and living marine resources, including protecting threatened species and establishing
conservation areas.

Other applicable laws include the Ocean Territories Act (Act No. 6/96), Environment Protection and
Preservation Act (Act No. 4/93), and other laws, decrees, and regulations relating to the use of the exclusive
economic zone (EEZ), fisheries, environment, business, foreign investment, and so on.

The Fisheries Act (5/87) is primarily an act that unequivocally provides the MOFA with the mandate to
oversee all fisheries activities in the country. In addition, it describes the conditions for the licensing of foreign
vessels or joint ventures in the EEZ, provides for apprehension of vessels, arrest, and penalties, and describes
the Coastal Fishery Zone (CFZ).

The Fisheries Act is supplemented by regulations, rules, and presidential decrees. Various MOFA regulations
include those on: fishing in lagoons; prohibitions in fishing; banned fishing gear and methods; protected marine
life; protection of certain species from harvest, prior permission required for non-traditional gear; reporting
violations of the Fisheries Act and regulations; reporting of all fish catch and effort; issuing of licences to fish in
the Maldivian EEZ; describes licence issuance by the Ministry of Trade and Industries (MTI) and requirements
for the vessels licensed to fish in the EEZ; marine scientific research in Maldivian waters; sets out requirements
for vessel-based research operations and a required application form; catch and export of yellowfin/bigeye
tuna; installation of fish cages and culture in fishing lagoons; and installation of FADs on fishing grounds.

Other relevant regulations under other laws and decrees include protection of species by banning export;
declaration of marine protected areas and export quotas of selected species.
The Environment Protection and Preservation Act of the Maldives (Act No. 4/93) and its supporting
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
regulations provide a second tier in the management of marine resources. The Act recognizes that protection
and preservation of land and water resources, flora and fauna, and all natural habitats are important for the
country’s sustainable development.
More information at: FAOLEX legislative database

References
Anderson, R. C. and A. Hafiz. 1991. How much bigeye in Maldivian yellowfin tuna catches?. In: Collective
volume of working documents presented at the Workshop on Stock Assessment of Yellowfin Tuna in the
Indian Ocean, Colombo, Sri Lanka, 7-12 October 1991, v. 6.
FAO. , Colombo (Sri Lanka), Indo-Pacific Development and Management Programme.
Cunningham, S. and A. Neiland.2007. Maldives Fisheries: Laying a foundation for future success.
Unpublished internal document. World Bank / Food and Agricultural Organization.
DPND. 2009. Maldives key Indicators - March 2009. Department of Planning and National Development,
Republic of Maldives.
MOFA. 2009. Basic Fisheries Statistics – 2009. Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, Republic of Maldives.
MFAMR. 2006. Basic Fisheries Statistics - 2006. Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Marine Resources,
Republic of Maldives.
MPND. 2004a. 25 years of statistics of Maldives. Ministry of Planning and National Development.
MPND. 2004b. Vulnerability and Poverty Assessment 2. Republic of Maldives, Ministry of Planning and
National Development.

Additional information

FAO Thematic data bases

FAO Country Profile
Marine Resources reports (FIRMS)
Albacore - Indian Ocean
Bigeye tuna - Indian Ocean
Black Marlin - Indian Ocean
Blue marlin - Indian Ocean
Bullet tuna - Indian Ocean
Dogtooth tuna - Maldives
Frigate tuna - Indian Ocean
Frigate tuna - Maldives
Indo-Pacific king mackerel - Indian Ocean
Indo-Pacific sailfish - Indian Ocean
Kawakawa - Indian Ocean
Little tuna - Maldives
Longtail tuna - Indian Ocean
Marine resources - Eastern Indian Ocean
Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel - Indian Ocean
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
 Reef fishes - Maldives
Sharks - Global
Skipjack tuna - Indian Ocean
Squid - Global
Striped Marlin - Indian Ocean
Swordfish - Indian Ocean
Tuna and tuna-like species - Global
Yellowfin tuna - Indian Ocean
Fishery reports (FIRMS)
Indian ocean : Bottom longline deepwater longtail red snapper fishery - high seas : 2009
World : Deep-sea fisheries : 2009
World : Global Tuna Fisheries : 2009
FAOLEX legislative database
Database on Introductions of Aquatic Species
Regional Fishery Bodies (RFB)
Bay of Bengal Programme Inter-Governmental Organization (BOBP-IGO)
Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)
Southwest Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC)
FAO Fishing Vessels Finder (FVF)

Publications

List of relevant FAO publications

Meetings & News archive

Meetings archive
News archive

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department